A massive earthquake shook southern Japan on Sunday, swaying buildings and briefly prompting warnings of tsunami. At least 250 people were injured and smaller aftershocks continued to rattle the region.
The magnitude-7 temblor, which hit west of Kyushu Island at 10:53 a.m. local time, was centered at an "extremely shallow" depth below the ocean floor, the Japanese Meteorological Agency said. An hour after the initial earthquake, aftershocks followed — at least one a magnitude-4.2 quake.
Within minutes, the agency warned of the possibility of 20-inch tsunami waves triggered by the seismic activity. Such waves can grow to towering heights as they approach land, and the agency cautioned residents near the water to move to higher ground. But an hour after the quake, the agency said there was no danger of tsunami.
"There may be some disturbance of the ocean's surface, but we aren't worried about tsunami damage," said Masahiro Yamamoto of the Meteorological Agency.
